Assessment of The Association Between Health Literacy and Disease Control Among Asthma Patients in Jordan

Background:<br/>Asthma is a widespread chronic respiratory disease that affects millions of patients globally. Health literacy (HL) is essential for patients to manage chronic conditions like asthma. Limited research has explored how HL affects asthma control in Jordan. This study investigated the association between HL and asthma control.<br/>Methods:<br/>This cross-sectional study enrolled adults aged 18 and over with a confirmed diagnosis of asthma, attending the pulmonary outpatient clinic at Jordan University Hospital in Amman, Jordan. Participants completed a self-administered survey consisting of the Asthma Numeracy Questionnaire (Ar-ANQ), the Medication Adherence Report Scale (MARS-5), and the Asthma Symptom Control (ASC) questionnaire. Ordinal regression was applied to assess HL and other risk factors on asthma control status. <br/>Results:<br/>A total of 397 participants were included (54.5% female). The median Ar-ANQ score was 2 (0–3), indicating a moderate level of HL. Only 35.8% of the patients were classified as well-controlled. The regression results confirmed that higher Ar-ANQ scores were significantly associated with better asthma control (β = -0.312, p = 0.001). In addition to HL, asthma control was significantly influenced by socioeconomic and demographic factors, in which poor asthma control was more prevalent among patients with lower income and older age. While the use of corticosteroids and ipratropium bromide was associated with better symptom management, medication adherence did not significantly predict asthma control.<br/> Conclusion:<br/>This study identified a significant positive relationship between HL and asthma control among Jordanian patients. Considering the influence of HL, targeted strategies to enhance HL may lead to better asthma control.<br/>